LIONSGATE AND SABAN BRANDS PARTNER FOR POWER RANGERS LIVE ACTION FEATURE FILM

A big screen reboot of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers has been announced. The property originally launched in 1993 as a tv series, but has since spawned one (terrible) big screen outing, as well as numerous comics,toys, apparel, costumes, video games, DVD’s, and plenty of other merchandise. Now Lionsgate are teaming with Haim Saban to re-envision the Power Rangers as "a group of high school kids who are infused with unique and cool super powers but must harness and use those powers as a team if they have any hope of saving the world." Wasn't that the original concept anyway? I'm a bit rusty! Lionsgate ad: “The Power Rangers stories and characters have been embraced by generations of audiences for more than 20 years, and today they are more powerful than ever. We have the ideal partner and the perfect brand with which to create a motion picture event that will resonate with moviegoers around the world for years to come.” Read the press release in full at the link below.
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The latest from the Schmoes' Phantom scooper puts outspoken Chronicle writer Max Landis on script duties for the recently announced Mighty Morphin Power Rangers reboot. In fact, according to them he's even turned in a first draft. More past the jump.

The Schmoes report that Max Landis (Chronicle) is currently writing the script for the big screen reboot of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers tv show, and has just turned in a draft to the movie's producers, Jim Miller, Alison Shearmur and Haim Saban. That's all we have to go on for now, but chances are Landis will have something to say about this one way or the other, so keep an eye out for updates. This new take on the Power Rangers is described as: "A re-imagining of the original Power Rangers, a group of high school kids who are infused with cool and new super powers but must learn to work together as a team and harness their powers if they have any chance at saving the world."

The Power Rangers movie is powering forward. Roberto Orci has just signed on to executive produce Lionsgate’s upcoming adaptation of the ’90s property, while Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz, who have a credit on X-Men: First Class,have been tapped to write. Hit the jump for more on the latest updates.
Orci, Miller, and Stentz will develop the story together, while the latter two will write the screenplay. Haim Saban, who created the franchise, is producing, along with Allison Shearmur (Kenneth Branagh’s Cinderella) and Saban Brands’ Brian Casentini.
The Power Rangers franchise started in the ’90s with the wildly popular children’s series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The show was adapted from a Japanese series and even used much of the same footage. Power Rangers also got two big-screen movies from Fox, in 1995 and 1997.
The initial Power Rangers craze calmed down after a few years, but Power Rangers has never actually gone away. The series gets a new title and storyline each season and remains on air today. It’s jumped from network to network over the years and is currently set up at Nickelodeon.
At the center of the franchise is a group of teenagers with extraordinary powers, who must join forces to save the world. THR reports the new movie will “completely reimagine” the Rangers, though they stop short of saying how exactly it’ll do that.
Orci, who recently split from his longtime screenwriting partner Alex Kurtzman, has plenty of experience with big-name franchises. His credits include the first two Transformers movies, both of J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek films, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and Mission: Impossible 3. He is expected (though not yet officially confirmed) to make his directorial debut with Star Trek 3.
Miller and Stentz are credited for writing X-Men: First Class but have also worked on Thor and the upcoming Geostorm. (Though First Class also had a lot of script work done by Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman and Thor had at least one rewrite from Don Payne.)They previously teamed with Orci on Fox’s cult sci-fi series Fringe.

Roberto Orci: "I Won't Ruin" POWER RANGERS & Open To Original Cast Cameos

Cowboys & Aliens co-screenwriter/producer Roberto Orci will be directing the next installment of Star Trek as well as producing the newly-announced Power Rangers live-action reboot film. Come see what he had to say about the project.

Roberto Orci, who is one of the men responsible for Star Trek Into Darkness and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, promised Haim Saban he wouldn't ruin the Power Rangers franchise. Saban believed him and that is how he became one of the producers on the project. And that is just some of what Orci told IGN in a recent interview. For the most part Orci gave vague responses, especially when asked about the continuity. "It's got a continuity within the world," told IGN. "I can't tell you what, but it does have a continuity. As for a potential director? That'll have to wait. When X-Men: First Class' screenwriters Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz do complete their script, that is when Orci and the rest of his team will search out the best director for Power Rangers. And Orci provided hope that there could be cameos for the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers cast members: Austin St. John as Jason Lee Scott (the Red Ranger), Amy Jo Johnson as Kimberly Ann Hart (the Pink Ranger), Walter Jones as Zack Taylor (the Black Ranger), Thuy Trang as Trini Kwan (the Yellow Ranger), and David Yost as Billy Cranston (the Blue Ranger).

IGN: Presumably it's not tied to the 21-year of history of the show. Are you going to use the same characters from the original series?Orci: One of the first things we did was learn and read... They have 600 pages of research that they have on their stuff. We read through the synopsis of everything they did and we are actually taking into account quite a bit of the canon in a real way. We're not just a leave it behind reboot. [Haim] Saban cares very much about that. This is something that he created. I had to go to his house, personally, to tell him, "Listen, I'm your man. Miller and Stenz, these are your guys. I promise you I won't ruin your franchise." And he said, "It's very important to me, because kids around the world know what the Power Rangers are. So you can't just come in here and walk all over it. It better be consistent with what I've been doing." And I said, "Yes sir!"

IGN: Lastly, I’m sure you know you're going to be getting this question... Any possibility for cameos or appearances by original cast members?Orci: Of course. That's something we want to rely on the Saban group to tell us. They have a lot of internal knowledge of their franchise and we're just learning now. We've seen it only as fans, but they actually know it inside and out, so I'd love to know what fans want to see.

The new movie promises to completely re-envision the Rangers, a group of high school kids who are infused with unique and cool super powers but must harness and use those powers as a team if they have any hope of saving the world.

Following their announcement of the project in May, Lionsgate and Saban have officially set Power Rangers for release on July 22, 2016! There, it will open opposite Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur.
Based on a story by executive producer Roberto Orci (The Amazing Spider-Man 2,Star Trek Into Darkness) and screenwriters Zack Stentz and Ashley Miller (X-Men: First Class, Thor) comes a modern reinvention of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, a group of ordinary high school kids who find themselves infused with extraterrestrial powers and must harness those powers as a team to save the world.
Saban’s “Power Rangers” franchise is the brainchild of Haim Saban, creator and producer of the original “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” hit series that launched in 1993. Following its introduction, “Power Rangers” quickly became the most-watched children’s television program in the United States and remains one of the top-rated and longest running boys live-action series in television history. The series follows the adventures of a group of ordinary teens who “morph” into superheroes and save the world from evil. It is seen in more than 150 markets around the world, translated into numerous languages and is a mainstay in the most prominent international children’s programming blocks.

During a recent interview, Jason David Frank, who played Tommy Oliver/Green Ranger (later became White Ranger) on the live-action television series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers says filming for the new film will happen this year.

In May of last year, Saban Brands and Lionsgate officially announced a new Power Rangers feature film was in the works. Then Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz were hired to write the screenplay. They're writing credits include X:Men: First Class, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Fringe. Roberto Orci, who co-wrote J.J. Abrams' Star Trek films and Michael Bay's Transformers films, was brought in to be the film's executive producer, but he left because he was too busy getting ready to Star Trek 3. Welp, he's free now. Outside of all of that, we really haven't heard anything new regarding this Power Rangers reboot.

Actor/professional martial arist Jason David Frank, who still has strong ties to Saban Brands has said in the past that he will more than likely have a cameo in the new film. In a recent interview with comicbook.com, Frank reiterates his interest in making a cameo and confidently says filming for the reboot will take place later this year.

Since you mentioned it, I feel like I've got to ask, are there any new updates in terms of the Power Rangers movie or everyone still in a holding pattern?

We're definitely not in a holding pattern. The movie is definitely set for this year. Everything is in place. They won't give me specific details because it's all like hush-hush. Even me, I try. I email Saban and ask them kind of what you're asking me, but they do feel that I'm going to be part of it, because they feel there's no movie, at least, without me. The funny thing is, one way or another, whether it happens or it doesn't, I've been great to Lionsgate and I've been loyal to Saban. It's not like they owe me, but if I want to ask for a personal favor, I've invested into their emotional bank account. I feel like it's fair to have that withdrawal with them, because I've done nothing but support them for the last 10 years, 20 years in fact.

So when that happens, I don't need to cash in any favors. I believe it's going to happen anyway, but when it does, I'll keep my fans involved, but I will tell you it is being filmed this year.

...but that would be sweet if they pandered to my generation (mid 20s to mid 30s). I'm sure it's going to be more focused on the new generation of kids, but they aren't the ones that grew up with the power rangers, damnit! we are!

A new Mighty Morphin Power Rangers movie is set to be released in 2016. Chloe Moretz, Liam Hemsworth and Meryl Streep have all been confirmed to star in it.
If at first you don’t succeed try again. That must be what Haim Saban, the Israeli born billionaire behind the Power Rangers, is thinking. The first try at making a movie out of the popular kids show failed miserably twenty years ago. But 1995’s “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie” did not have any real movie stars in it.
Now Saban has somehow gotten the likes of three time Oscar winner Meryl Streep to be in the new movie. She is best known for her dramatic roles, but Streep has been willing to do some tongue in cheek on occasion. She will play the villain, Rita Repulsa.
Liam Hemsworth, the younger brother of Thor star Chris, has been prominent as a backup to Jennifer Laurence in the Hunger Games movies. Now he hopes to follow his older brother into heroic leading man territory as he plays the lead role of Red Ranger.
Chloe Moretz, who already played a comic book type hero of sorts in the Kickass movies is set to play the Pink Ranger.
The new movie will be made in cooperation between Haim Saban’s company and Lionsgate. Saban was quoted last year as saying, “Lionsgate is the perfect home for elevating our Power Rangers brand to the next level. They have the vision, marketing prowess and incredible track record in launching breakthrough hits from ‘The Hunger Games’ to ‘Twilight’ and ‘Divergent.’ In partnership with the Lionsgate team, we’re confident that we will capture the world of the Power Rangers and translate it into a unique and memorable motion picture phenomenon with a legacy of its own.”

2016 is shaping up to be a big year for the CBM and now one of next year's dark horses, the upcoming Mighty Morphin Power Rangers reboot movie may have just found its director! Come check it out! The Power Rangers head back to action July 22, 2016!

It's Morphin' Time!

In a year jam-packed with comic book movies, it's easy to forget that the big-screen revival of the Power Rangers is also expected to arrive in theaters during the busy summer of 2016. Up until now, not much has been revealed about the joint-production between Lionsgate & Saban Films, but now The Wrap has learned that director Dean Israelite (Project Almanac) is in advanced negotiations to direct the third theatrical Power Rangers adventure. Israelite is said to be a big fan of the franchise and hopes to bring a fresh voice to the beloved property.

Ashley Miller & Zack Stentz, best known for their work on Thor & X-Men: First Class, are penning the script. With the highly anticipated film expected to arrive in July 2016, expect to start hearing casting announcements sometime sooner than later and stay tuned to CBM to hear the news as it breaks.

The long-running Power Rangers franchise, which recently launched its twenty-second season, originally kicked off back in 1993 with the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, a series that quickly became a worldwide phenomenon and starred Austin St. John, Walter Jones, David Yost, Amy Jo Johnson, and Thuy Trang as the superpowered teenagers.

Lionsgate is moving its big screen adaptation of Power Rangers from its summer 2016 release date (July 22, 2016) to a later Winter release –January 13, 2017. Project Almanac helmer Dean Israelite was just hired to direct this project about a group of high school students that use their abilities to save the world while wearing brightly colored jumpsuits.

Last week director Dean Israelite (Project Almanac) offered an update on Power Rangers calling the recent draft of the script "mature but still playful"Power Rangers was one of my hotly contested twitter votes which ended in a tie. Enough of you wanted to know so I decided to cover it here on the site when I do my scoop rounds.
What's the latest? According to my sources here in Los Angeles, they haven't officially started casting just yet on Power Rangers but here is a little tidbit - it's expected to be all unknown actors for the actual Power Rangers as the studio wants them all to play late teens.
So if you had a favorite actor from the previous tv show and were hoping to see them in the film version, doesn't look like it's happening.
I'll keep track on the project and will update you guys as more comes in.Power Rangers hits theaters on January 13, 2017.

Director Dean Israelite (Project Almanac) recently sat down with IGN to share a progress update on Lionsgate's upcoming Power Rangers reboot, which was recently pushed back by 8 months. Israelite obviously couldn't reveal anything regarding the film's plot, but he did reveal that he has read an early draft of the script, and is currently working on design work and reimagining the world. Whether or not the film ties into the original 1993 series remains to be seen. Read his full account below:

“I read the script and was really surprised by it and thought there was a really cool, contemporary, mature but still playful, buoyant and fun take on the material, and was updated in a really interesting way. It had this wonderful character that’s essential to going on a fantastic adventure. I was instantly drawn to it. I remember it as a kid. I grew up with it in South Africa. When I opened the script I had no idea how it was going to be updated, and I was really impressed by it. So I put a really big presentation together, because I needed to win the job. There were a lot of guys going out for it and saw the potential in it, so I put a really big presentation together and was lucky enough to get the job. We’re in sort of a soft pre-production right now, doing a lot of design work and reimagining the world. It’s really cool and exciting.”

When asked about the film's tone, and if he's going for a more edgier approach to the franchise, the director revealed that the early draft of the script is 'mature but still playful'.

“Oh, yes, it needs to be completely playful, and it needs to be really fun and funny. But like Project Almanac, I hope it’s going to feel very grounded at the same time, and very contemporary and have a real edge to it, and a real gut to it. So I think it’s going to be a fun, joyful [movie] but one that feels completely grounded in a real world, with real characters going through real things.”

Finally, when IGN asked if we should be expecting any casting news soon, the director revealed that we will hear more news in the next few months.

First Logo For POWER RANGERS Reboot Has A Nostalgic Feel; Plus Casting Update

The upcoming Power Rangers reboot has recently started to pick up some traction. The other day, director Dean Israelite provided a quick update and now, the first logo has surfaced. We also have a casting update in case you're curious about who the studios are eyeing! Come check it out!

Today marked the first day of the 2015 Las Vegas Licensing Expo and while we've already seen more than a few goodies from Warner Bros.' upcoming superhero event Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice, there are quite a few other upcoming films on display as well. The good folks atCollider managed to snap a photo of an early logo for Lionsgate's upcoming Power Rangers reboot and well, it's basically every Power Rangers logo ever, save for the logo used in the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series.

Check out the photo below and keep scrolling for a small casting update:

With the reboot not arriving until January 13, 2017 at the earliest, it shouldn't be too surprising that casting has yet to begin. However, according to Heroic Hollywood, it looks when the process does kick off, Lionsgate will be looking at relatively unknown actors to play the actual Power Rangers as the studio wants them all to believably play characters in their late teens.

Considering the Power Rangers franchise has a long-running history of casting unknowns as the iconic Rangers, this really shouldn't come as a huge surprise to anyone invested in the property. However, if you were hoping to see popular fan-favorite picks such as Chloë Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass), Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games), and/or Donald Glover (The Martian), amongst others, say "It's Morphin' Time," you may be a tad disappointed.

The report also states that it's highly unlikely the upcoming movie will feature former actors from the popular '90s television series suiting up on film. Does this mean the movie will be a full-on reimagining that pays homage to the original series while moving in a different direction, or is the door still potentially open for former stars such as Austin St. John, Walter Jones, Amy Jo Johnson, and David Yost to make appearances? Still too early to say, but with the movie expected to start production later this year, expect to learn more very soon, possibly as early as next month's San Diego Comic-Con!

What do you guys make of all this? Sound off with your thoughts below!

After 10,000 years of imprisonment, the evil sorceress Rita Repulsa and her loyal minions are freed when astronauts on a routine mission in space accidentally open her dumpster prison on the Moon. A team of “five teenagers with attitude” — Jason, Zack, Kimberly, Billy and Trini — receive superpowers beyond their wildest dreams so they can defend the Earth as the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

Yesterday we got our first look at the logo for Lionsgate's upcoming big screen Power Rangers adaptation, directed by Project Almanac director Dean Israelite. Now some new details about two of the film's major characters have surfaced online - including the movie's villain. Check it out!

We've heard quite a bit about Lionsgate's big screen Power Rangers adaptation recently, with director Dean Israelite recently affirming the movie's "mature but playful" tone. Now the good folks over at Heroic Hollywood claim to have learned the identities of two of the film's major characters: Rita Repulsa and Zordon. Here's what their sources had to say about the pair of fan-favorite aliens:

“A huntress. A striking, yet subtly alien-looking woman. [Rita] carries a metallic staff topped with a distinctive crescent shape. Advances with a soldier’s confidence, guided by some sort of compass... Her staff is actually a device of immense power. She points it at the ground. Heads emerge, built layer upon layer like 3-D printing, made from the earth itself... The staff’s technology grants her the ability to create humanoid figures, soulless and robotic.”

“Though alien, [Zordon] looks like a man in his 50s. Sinewy and strong, as if carved from some root that refused to die. A being of integrity and iron will.”

The site also claimed that the movie's prologue would open with these two characters in direct conflict - in a scene set during the cretaceous period on the last day of the dinosaurs. Rita, who will most likely be the film's main villain, will be seen fighting that era's Power Rangers led by Zordon himself - uncharacteristically suiting up as the Red Ranger! What are your thoughts about these new details? Power Rangers will hit theatres January 13, 2017, are you excited?

Whether you like it or not, there’s a new Power Rangers movie coming from Lionsgate, with the studio hoping to ignite a successful new franchise as The Hunger Games comes to an end this fall. We’d heard that the new movie would somehow keep the mythology of the original Power Rangers series intact, and now we have details on just how that will happen.
The beginning of the movie has been uncovered, with details including a reveal of the original Power Rangers, how we meet the new team, and what our new heroes have to do in order to save the planet. But if you choose to keep reading, beware of spoilers for the plot of the movie. Find out more about the new Power Rangers movie plot after the jump!Heroic Hollywood seems to have gotten their hand on the script or a detailed treatment for Power Rangers, and they reveal the movie begins on Earth all the way back in the Cretaceous period with Zordon and his group of Power Rangers fighting Rita Repulsa. In order to defeat her, Zordon somehow detonates a black hole, and that seems to be the end of the prologue.
Then 65 million years later, we begin to meet our team of new heroes. There’s 16-year old Jason working in the garage of a car dealership in Angel Grove, California, and he just so happens to be getting text messages from his friend Billy, described as being brilliant in his own way. At the car dealership, Kimberly eventually shows up, described as a perfectionist on every level, academically and physically. Her father owns the dealership, and isn’t to happy when he finds Kimberly and Jason making out in the garage.
Meanwhile, Zack is working at a Dave and Busters. He’s seen scoring an impressive number of points on an arcade basketball game. But when an assistant basketball coach offers him a position on the school basketball team, Zack isn’t interested because there isn’t an “I” in team. Clearly he misunderstood that old saying, and he’s got some pretty obvious lessons to learn.
And finally there’s Trini, described as a bit of a loner, and we find her in the desert doing yoga. Becoming part of a team will clearly be something she has to get comfortable with too.

The story is set in motion because Billy has been texting Jason about the fossil of a tyrannosaurus rex he found by way of Google Earth, and the two friends head out to a decommissioned military base to check it out. As they try to unearth part of the skeleton, the find a strange coin. In fact they find five of them.

They’re power coins from the original Power Rangers. But after arguing about taking the coins with them, Billy throws them back on the ground.
Here’s where things start to get a little silly (as if they weren’t already). An unprecedented meteor shower collides with the moon, causing insane tidal activity on earth. And when a young mother needs to be rescued from the massive waves that have begun forming in the ocean, that’s when Jason, Billy, Zack, Kimberly and Trini end up meeting and working together to save this woman.
Meanwile, a teleportation room suddenly sees the return of Zordon as a being of light, an ethereal version of himself in a glass tube (his whole body, not just his face like in the original series). Zordon is reunited with Alpha 5, where we learn that the black hole tore the fabric of time around the solar system, bringing them into the present.
But Zordon and Alpha 5 aren’t the only survivors, as Rita Repulsa has landed in Russia with a plan to steal gold from around Earth in order to rebuild her trusty thug Goldar. For some reason there’s a ticking clock of 71 hours left to stop Rita. Director Dean Israelite recently described the script as mature but playful, but this just sounds goofy as hell.
By this time, the power coins have bonded with our five teenage heroes. Zordon isn’t sure these primitive humans have the skills in order to become the Power Rangers the world needs them to be. It would take years to train them, but they’ll have to come together in 71 hours in order to save the planet.
So there you have it. That sounds about as crazy as you’d expect a new Power Rangers movie to be and since they’re using the names of the original Power Rangers from the first iteration of the series, this seems to be a pretty basic reboot. There’s no mention of the Putty army in here, but I’m betting some form of them will be in the movie. After all, the Rangers need something to fight, and Rita rarely does her own fighting, choosing to rely on weird monsters instead.
This sounds just as goofy and hollow as the reboot of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (which was something that I didn’t enjoy at all), but it’s likely to hit the right mark with kids as well as adults who still have nostalgia for the imported Japanese series. At the very least, maybe the Zords will be cool to see on the big screen, since they weren’t all that impressive in the other two Power Rangers movies. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

Character Names And Detailed Descriptions For Upcoming POWER RANGERS Reboot

The Power Rangers reboot hasn't started casting its young leads just yet, but the character names (which will definitely be familiar to some of you) have surfaced along with detailed descriptions for each. Are they heading in the right direction? Read on for further details...

While it may not be as popular as it once was, Power Rangers is a franchise which is still going strong, and it might just return to its glory days thanks to an upcoming big screen reboot which is going to reintroduce these characters to a whole new generation of potential fans. Dean Israelite (Project Almanac) is directing from a script by Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama (The Last Witch Hunter) which was later rewritten by Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz (Thor). Interesting mix, eh?

Now, Collider has the scoop on the names of each of the movie's main characters as well as detailed descriptions for each. The names should be familiar to longtime Power Rangers fans, and it's clear that this version of the team will be more fleshed out than previous iterations as they all have quite detailed back stories. Check them out below and let us know what you think in the usual place! Power Rangers is set to be released on January 13th, 2017, so stay tuned for more details.

Jason – 17 years old, the makings of someone or something great if he would just get out of his own way. Jason was a legend of this town—a freshman quarterback with the skills to take him all the way. People knew his name. Children wore his jersey. Until, one night Jason wrapped his car around a pole and busted out his knee. Everything Jason was going to become ended in an instant. And with it, he lost himself. When we meet him at the start of the film, he’s a kid in need of redemption. By the end, he’ll be leading this disparate group of teens to shed their individual baggage and find who they truly are.

Kimberly – 17 years old, unconventionally cool all in a way the popular girls wish they were. In fact, she was one of those girls, but isn’t anymore. Not since she’s returned to school after an absence of 6 months. Rumors are flying as to why; rumors she seems not to care about, because she’s come back with this new rebel-without-a-cause, edgy attitude. But the truth is, it’s all masking a deep secret that makes her feel profoundly vulnerable.

Trini – 17 years old, mysterious and extremely bright. Her parents constantly move for work, making Trini the perpetual new girl to any school. A loner who owns it, Trini is self-sufficient, contemplative, but always observant. All she wants is to find her gang of friends, but she’ll never admit it – least of all to herself.

Billy – 17 years old, slight and awkward. Billy is challenged in his abilities to communicate and interact socially. Whip-smart and sweet, but always odd. Sometimes in a fun way, sometimes not, Billy is a kid with no filter. Showing his emotions, understanding sarcasm, and dealing with his OCD is a constant challenge. Has never really had any friends and instantly gravitates towards Jason.

Zack – 17 years old, always the life of the party. Filled with bravado and swagger, Zack’s tough and cool on the exterior. A charming guy who’s never had trouble with the one-liner, nor lacked confidence around women. A great athlete that’s never wanted to play on any team but his own. Zack advertises everything about himself, except the truth, which is that he lives in a trailer park with his single mom, and because of it, feels deeply inferior to all his peers.

We might not know who exactly will be playing the next generation of Power Rangers just yet, but we do now know when they'll be expected to suit up. Come check it out! The upcoming Dean Israelite-directed reboot is expected to hit theaters January 13, 2017.

With an early 2017 release date, it was only a matter of time before production kicked off on Lionsgate's upcoming Mighty Morphin Power Rangers reboot and now, thanks to YVRShoots, we know exactly when the film should officially commence.

The site is reporting that the Dean Israelite-directed film, which has a script from X-Men: First Class & Thor scribes Ashley Miller and Zack Stenz, is expected to begin filming in Vancouver on January 18th and then wrap sometime around April 12th. The co-production between Lionsgate and Saban Entertainment will shoot under the working title "SHIRT."

The cast has yet-to-be finalized, but based on this latest report, it's probably a safe bet to assume that we'll start hearing about which five young actors will portray the iconic Rangers much sooner than later. The original '90s phenomenon starred Austin St. John, Thuy Trang, David Yost, Amy Jo Johnson, & Walter Jones as the five original Power Rangers: Jason, Trini, Billy, Kimberly, & Zack. Last month, it was reported that the new movie will feature updated 21st century takes on these same five characters.

What do you guys think? Sound off with your thoughts below!

After 10,000 years of imprisonment, the evil sorceress Rita Repulsa and her loyal minions are freed when astronauts on a routine mission in space accidentally open her dumpster prison on the Moon. A team of “five teenagers with attitude” — Jason, Zack, Kimberly, Billy and Trini — receive superpowers beyond their wildest dreams so they can defend the Earth as the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

Here Are The Young Stars Reportedly Testing For Roles In POWER RANGERS

It's been pretty quiet on the Power Rangers news front lately, following word that Lionsgate had pushed the reboot back to a January 2017 release. However, it seems the studio have finally begun casting, and there may be a few recognisable faces to be found on their shortlist...

It's been a while since we've heard any concrete news from Lionsgate's upcoming Power Rangers reboot, but it seems the studio have begun their search for the five titular heroes. According to Variety, It Follows star Daniel Zovatto, Chasing Life's Ross Butler and multi-talented rapper/singer Brian 'Sene' Marc are the three strikingly diverse options to play 'Zack' (the Black Ranger).

Furthermore, Shortland Street's K.J. Apa, Descendants actor Mitchell Hope, and The Shannara Chronicles hearthrob Austin Butler (who notably played Thea's temporary DJ/boyfriend on Arrow last year) are in the running to play Red Ranger 'Jason'. Finally, Terra Nova's Naomi Scott and newcomer Stephanie Scott are vying for the role of 'Kimberly' (the Pink Ranger).

Jeff Sneider of The Wrap has since added to Variety's report, claiming that Bridge To Terabithia & The Carrie Diaries lead AnnaSophia Robb is also in contention to play Kim. Variety revealed the other two roles of Blue Ranger 'Billy' & Yellow Ranger 'Trini' will be cast as unknowns, but added that the studio are looking for "a big name" to play the role of the antagonist.

The movie will be directed by Dean Isrealite from a script written by Thor scribes Ashley Miller & Zack Stentz. What do you think of these choices? Do you have any other suggestions for Lionsgate? As always, be sure to sound off with your thoughts in the comments below!

This weekend, word broke about actors testing for the various roles in Lionsgate‘s upcoming Power Rangers reboot, and the studio has officially announced the first cast member. Naomi Scott (The Martian, “Terra Nova”) will star as Kimberly, AKA The Pink Ranger!
Other actors reportedly up for parts in the film include KJ Apa (“Shortland Street”), Austin Butler (“Arrow,” “The Carrie Diaries”) and Mitchell Hope (“Descendants”) for the role of Jason/The Red Ranger and Daniel Zovatto (It Follows), Ross Butler (“Chasing Life”) and Brian “Sene” Marc (“Major Crimes”) in contention for Zack/The Black Ranger.

It turns out that the upcoming Power Rangers movie will be quite a bit different to what we expected, with a very surprising tie to the TV series! We also have details on the villain, and it definitely isn't going to be who you're expecting. Hit the jump for details...

While we've all assumed that Lionsgate's Power Rangers movie will be a reboot, it seems like fans of the TV series won't actually have anything to worry about when it comes to that being completely ignored or overlooked. In fact, Collider is reporting that the current team from Power Rangers Dino Charge will factor into the movie's opening sequence (which, if I had to hazard a guess, will see them killed off in order to set the stage for this new group taking over). I loved Power Rangers as a kid, but can remember nothing about the show - or the two movies which seemed pretty good at the time - so here are all the new details directly from the site:

"Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd will not be the main antagonists. As loyal fans of the series know (and this could be considered a spoiler here), both of those villains were among the evil forces purified by Zordon’s energy wave (or Z-wave) that spread peace throughout the universe. However, not all adversaries were neutralized. There’s even one major villain from the early days of the series who promised she would return, but never did, prompting people to assume that she was destroyed or turned good by the Z-wave. Yes, I’m talking about Scorpina, of course! Sources tell us the ruthless and dangerous minion of Rita has returned to plague the Rangers once more. And it seems she’s brought an army, which she uses to battle the Power Rangers and their robot Megazords in the epic opening battle scene. From what we’re hearing, the Rangers (presumably the Dino Charge team at this point) are protecting the Morphin Grid, an energy field that provides power to every generation of Rangers."

A surprising choice of villain then, but this sounds like a cool way to tie into the TV series in a way which will keep fans happy and shouldn't alienate those new to the franchise. It certainly sounds like the studio has big plans for the franchise anyway, and with production set to begin next year - and casting currently ongoing - we should see something official from Power Rangers soon...